Just so you know … Montage’s headlines get created by the editor, not by me. It’s time to start thinking about lighting up Mountain City, so we can work on it during November. But, it’s early to literally start working.
So far, no one has volunteered to string lights on the Big Oak Tree.
The appreciation folks have for Mark Jones’ service as traffic light operator shone brightly when someone on Nextdoor.com questioned his ability. A strong string of over 40 comments followed expressing support for Jones.
Jones donated the dollars for the purchase of most of Loving Mountain City’s LED existing lights for the Big Oak Tree. Two years back, I found a great Buy One Get One offer that multiplied the distance covered by the lights his donation purchased. And, this year, a donation came for 2,400 more lights. Now, we just need someone to tend to getting them installed in November. Please.
Judge Beth Smith, our precinct’s JP, donates most of the prizes for Loving Mountain City events. By the time this column prints, the annual National Night Out event she hosts (along with her husband, Everett) will be a good memory.
I wonder if other Hays County precincts have such supportive elected officials.
I wonder if others in Mountain City have as many hummingbirds as RonTom and I have at our house, as we roll into October.
Any day now, the Ruby-throats could head south to Central America for the winter. Most of them will fly across the Gulf of Mexico. For now, closing out September, at Monday’s breakfast at least a dozen darted amidst five feeders and few flowers.
Dead flowers, although they look “messy” to some eyes, provide value for wildlife during winter.
Even galls, the tumor-looking bulges on some stems, play a vital role for wildlife.
And, dead bark and leaves can provide winter habitat for butterflies.
October is a great month to install a bluebird nestbox. This year’s local youngsters are looking for nesting sites for 2020, when they’ll be sexually mature, and, bluebirds migrating southward (flying overhead during the day) come through. These birds can spot a potential nesting cavity from the air.
Learn more at https://texasbluebirdsociety.org
If you’d like to purchase a Texas Bluebird Society nestbox, I am a volunteer nestbox distributor. If you purchase a new membership for $20 in person, Texas Bluebird Society will give you a free nestbox. Contact me.
I’ll be talking about bluebirds at the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Schertz at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The city council plans to interview and select a candidate for the part-time city administrator position in the Oct. 14 meeting. The job description appears on the city’s website. The posting will be open until 5 p.m. Oct. 4. Any interested parties should email their letter of interest and resume to Mayor Ralph McClendon at Ralph.Mountaincity@gmail.com
Any parties interested in providing tidbits? Please email tidbits to ptom5678@gmail.com (subject: tidbit.) Thanks! Love to you, PTom
